The 58th Annual Gem & Mineral Show presented a Special Exhibit of Fluorescent Minerals by Dan & Connie Snow, members of the Show-Me Rockhounds of Kansas City sponsored by the Association of Earth Science Clubs of Kansas City. Here is the flyer for the show and photographs of the exhibit.

Flyer designed and photographed by Dan Snow of the Show-Me Rockhounds.

It wasn’t really a “meeting” when we gathered at the Westport Flea Market on December 15th, but it was a darn good party. About 20 of us took over tables and chairs in the area by the pinball machines, but this year no one was playing the machines, so all the noise was ours. After socializing and food, we got down to serious gift opening (and theft). Steve and Charline Dumortier, making it clear who exactly has foresight in this group, brought a big trash bag in which to put discarded wrapping and ribbon.

The most coveted item was actually two items: a rock of clear quartz crystal with one especially nice terminal, paired with a stand that beamed changing colors of light through the quartz. That was originally obtained by Anthony Bertrand, who lost it to Charley Maazouz, who lost it to Ginny Farney (“You know there’s something fundamentally wrong with that!”), who lost it to Sharon Penner.

As for everyone else, we didn’t do so badly either: Trent Stigall wound up with a whole mini-collection that included barite, dalmatian jasper, a mosasaur tooth, and a thunder egg. Donn and Sylvia Crilly (who didn’t attend in person, but sent a gift through Valerie J. Meyers, who then picked up a gift for them) got two of Charlie Hedge’s wonderful kaleidoscapes, mounted on both sides of a small board.

Dan Snow got a small display case for several specimens. Pam Stigall got a great chunky galena specimen, Anthony got calcite specimens from Lake Stockton, Missouri, and Connie Snow received a black cryptocrystalline quartz “sacred stone” and the book “Love is in the Earth,” by Melody.

Cele Wood opened a box of bead strings and said, smiling, “The gift that keeps on giving.” (“I see projects in your future!” Charley called.) Charline got a National Geographic pocket guide to rocks and minerals. Steve was clearly meant to get a box no matter what: Having lost a beautiful wooden box with an inoceramus fossil on the lid to Charley, he then obtained a carved stone box with marbles inside.

Stuart Traxler got a specimen of smooth script-stone jasper from India; Brennen Barnes got a polished red-lace agate from Mexico; Charlie Hedges got a digital picture frame; and Finny wound up with a lovely wire-wrapped moss-agate pendant on a leather thong. Arienne Barnes got a rock with a lot of fossilized turritella, and Valerie got the book “Roadside Geology of Missouri” by Charles Spencer (and hey! She’s taking a road trip in a couple of months!).

Dan announced that he was planning to have another cabbing session January 20th at his place. With that, and a lot of looking over other people’s gifts, the party broke up. Dan and Connie Snow were kind enough to take both video and still pictures of the party. They can be found on the group’s Facebook page, from which the following photos are remorselessly stolen.

As you know, our next meeting is Saturday, October 20 at the Sutton Geosciences Museum, Flarsheim Hall, Room 271, at UMKC. Please be aware that on that day they are having the Kansas City Marathon from 7:00am-1:00pm and there will be multiple road closures, so allow extra time to arrive. A map of the marathon route is here.

Additionally, I am very sorry I haven’t updated the website in 8 months. Please reach out if you are a club member and are interested in helping to run the website.

MCC-Maple Woods: All That Glitters Isn’t Gold
Many minerals with a golden hue actually have no gold in them whatsoever, and this display contain examples of many. But don’t be fooled! All that glitters may not be gold, but no matter what it, it is still amazing!

University of Kansas-Vertebrate Paleontology: Dinosaurs from Montana
Booth/exhibit will feature some nice casts of dinosaur skulls and bones.

University of Kansas-Invertebrate Paleontology:There will be a sandbox with invertebrate fossils for children to hunt through as well as information about the fossils they find.

University of Kansas-Invertebrate Paleontology: Fossils from the middle Cambrian
Display of a variety of interesting and rare middle Cambrian fossils

University of Missouri-Kansas City: Specimens from UMKC’s Sutton Museum of Geosciences
A display of excellent specimen’s from the UMKC museum

Northwest Missouri State University: Student Field Experiences
The showcase features mineral and rock samples collected by students during departmental field trips over the past year. Samples were collected at sites in southeastern Missouri, Minnesota, and the Colorado Plateau region.

University of Kansas-Paleobotany Department: Pennsylvanian Plants of the Midwest
An exhibit of various 300 million year old plant fossils, many found locally.

Washburn University: Bill Boltze Lake Superior Agate Collection and the Washburn meteor
Exhibit will feature a collection of agates found in the glacial deposits in and around Topeka, KS and a 29 lb. nickel-iron meteor that is 1/4 of one found in Chile in 1875.

The Association has some scholarships for college students who have completed at least their sophomore year and are legal residents of the United States and studying for a degree in Earth Science related fields. The awards ranging from $250.00 to $1,000.00 each can be applied toward tuition or loans at an accredited college or university in Kansas or Missouri. There are also research grants for graduate students.

The Scholarship Committee will select finalists from applications received by the end of February each year. Applicants are asked to provide the following:

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